Former Choctaw High School choir teacher sentenced to prison for sex crimes

A former choir teacher at Choctaw High School has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for having a sexual relationship with a student that lasted more than a year.

Samuel Taylor Melton, 30, of Moore, will be on probation for 25 more years after his release from prison. He must register as a sex offender.

He pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Aug. 19, in Oklahoma County District Court to 15 sex crimes. At times, he wiped away tears with a tissue.

“He’s incredibly remorseful,” his attorney, Chris Box, told reporters afterward. “He wanted closure, not only for himself, but for the victim.”

Melton’s wife, father and mother were present in the crowded courtroom for the sentencing, the defense attorney confirmed.

The guilty plea was to four counts of rape by instrumentation, three counts of second-degree rape, four counts of forcible oral sodomy and four counts of sexual battery.

He admitted in his guilty plea that the offenses began in 2023 when the victim was 16 and one of his students. He did not apologize.

His punishment was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Special Judge Jason Glidewell imposed the sentence after the victim told her former teacher she came forward to protect other students.

“You were the darkness that crept into the place that was meant to be safe for me,” Avery Smith, now 19, told him in a 10-minute statement. “You are a predator, and I was just one of your prey.”

The Oklahoman typically does not name victims of sexual assault, but Avery wanted her name known.

She came forward in April, almost a year after graduating. She at first told her parents.

“So many parts of me screamed not to say a word,” she said in court Tuesday, looking directly at Melton. “But the parts of me that longed for my own justice and the protection of the girls you would’ve hurt in the future … screamed louder.”

Melton kept his head down as she spoke. He tightly gripped a tissue in his hand as she said he had stolen her love of music and poisoned her dream of being a music teacher herself by holding her captive to his “sick sexual fantasies.”

“You took that from me,” she said.

After the sentencing, she told reporters it was important to her to be an example for other victims of sex crimes. “I absolutely think that there are people out there that haven’t spoke out and I hope they come forward,” she said. “You matter. Your story deserves to be heard.”

Melton confessed and resigned when school administrators confronted him in April about the accusations.

He was charged April 28. Attorney General Gentner Drummond took over the case in July at the request of the victim. The AG told Avery in court after the sentencing that he was proud of her.

In a news release, Drummond called the sentence “the longest ever for a sexual predator in our schools.”

“Anyone who preys on children should be punished as harshly as possible − especially those who have been entrusted with the education and care of our children,” said Drummond, who is running for governor.

Avery told police the sexual encounters began the second semester of her junior year, two months after he was reprimanded for unprofessional and inappropriate interactions with her.

“Do not place yourself in the position of having your statements or actions be misinterpreted as having inappropriate feelings towards students,” he was told in the reprimand signed by Principal Jackie Harris.

She told police the sexual encounters continued into her senior year even after his wife found out. She told police some sexual encounters took place in a practice room while class was still in session and students were practicing just outside the door.

She graduated in May 2024.

Lawsuit is pending in Oklahoma City federal court

Avery is suing the Choctaw-Nicoma Park School District, school officials and Melton in Oklahoma City federal court. In the lawsuit, she alleges she suffered the sexual abuse because of a series of gross failures and indifference at the district.

Her lawsuit lists seven other incidents of sexual misconduct by teachers in the district.

Her attorney, Cameron Spradling of Oklahoma City, has demanded $25 million.

“We have to recognize Oklahoma has a serious problem,” said Spradling, who has successfully sued other school districts.

“Do we not recognize that, everybody?” he asked reporters Tuesday after the sentencing. “That we’ve got a big problem here.”

The school district has not filed an answer to the lawsuit yet. In a media statement in May, the school district said, “Mr. Melton’s actions were reprehensible and antithetic to the high standards of professionalism, trust and care demonstrated every day by CNP teachers, administrators, and staff.”The age of consent for sex had been 16 at the time of their relationship but that did not apply to teachers. A new law will raise the age to 18 when it goes in effect later this year.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Former Choctaw choir teacher Sam Melton sentenced for sex crimes